About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Additive Manufacturing of Lightweight Alloy Matrix Composites
|
| Presentation Title |
Mitigating Cracking in Additive Manufacturing of High-Strength Aluminum Alloys with Ceramic Reinforcements |
| Author(s) |
Sk Samir Hasnain, Som Dixit, Shunyu Liu |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Shunyu Liu |
| Abstract Scope |
High-strength aluminum alloys (2xxx, 6xxx, 7xxx series) are vital lightweight structural materials across many industrial sectors. Metal additive manufacturing (AM) of these alloys provides unparalleled design flexibility but faces severe hot cracking issues. Our latest work demonstrates an effective solution by reinforcing AA6061 with titanium carbide (TiC) using laser-directed energy deposition. High-energy ball milling was used to prepare the feedstock composite powders. The influence of TiC concentration (0.5–5 vol.%) and particle size (~40 nm, 1–5 µm, 45–150 µm) on cracking behavior and microstructure evolution was systematically investigated. Advanced microstructural characterization (TEM, SEM, EDX, XRD) and mechanical testing reveal that cracking alleviation is driven by a columnar-to-equiaxed grain transition and grain refinement due to unmelted TiC and new precipitates. This approach not only eliminates hot cracking but also enhances mechanical properties, demonstrating a manufacturing breakthrough for robust AM of high-strength aluminum alloys and lightweight aluminum matrix composites. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Additive Manufacturing, Aluminum, Composites |